Kurfürstendamm

Kurfürstendamm in Berlin-Charlottenburg

You haven't seen Berlin if you haven't been to Kurfürstendamm. The world-famous boulevard in the west of the city is not only a bustling shopping street, but also a destination for lovers of architecture and culture.

A visit to the Kurfürstendamm, or "Kudamm" as Berliners call it, is one of the fixed program points for visitors to Berlin. The world-famous boulevard in the Berlin's City West is known primarily as a shopping mile - but the boulevard also has a number of architectural and cultural attractions to offer.

The Kurfürstendamm is the lifeline of Berlin's western cuity center and one of the most famous streets in the world. The number one shopping mile in Berlin is 3.5 kilometers long and located in the Charlottenburg district between Breitscheidplatz and Halensee. On the wide sidewalks, Berliners and tourists stroll along elegantly decorated shop windows or take a break at one of the numerous cafés. At the corner of Joachimsthaler Straße and around Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church large department stores and international fashion brands are lined up next to each other. On the other end, towards Olivaer Platz, well-known luxury brands showcase their exclusive offers.

Once a Bridle Path for the Electors ...

Kurfürstendamm, which means "Electors' causeway" in English, was built for the Electors as a bridle path towards Grunewald forest in the middle of the 16th century. At the request of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the path was expanded into a 53-metre wide boulevard based on the French model with theaters, cafés and shops in 1886. Noble residential buildings with magnificent Wilhelminian-style architecture still adorn the side streets today.

... Now a Shopping Mile with Modern Architecture

These days, Kurfürstendamm is a place where old and new architecture meet almost seamlessly. Behind the famous Café Kranzler on the corner of Joachimsthaler Straße - a low-rise building from the 1950s - the new Kranzler-Eck was built at the turn of the century, a glass skyscraper according to the plans of architect Helmut Jahn. A shopping arcade connects the boulevard with Kantstraße. On the opposite side, at the corner of Joachimsthaler Straße, a ten-storey semi-circular building called "Kudamm-Eck" containing shops, restaurants and a hotel was built according to plans by Gerkan, Marg & Partner.

Old Meets New on Kurfürstendamm

The so-called Zoofenster ("zoo window") was opened in 2012: a 118-meter building between Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Kantstraße and Zoologischer Garten train station. The high-rise designed by architect Christoph Mäckler houses the luxury hotel Waldorf Astoria. Another building worth a visit is the restored Haus Cumberland is also worth seeing. The listed building between Bleibtreustraße and Schlüterstraße dates from the beginning of the 20th century. The residential building still has its original, albeit restored façade.

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